Congrès International sur l'Analyse du Cycle de Vie Lille ... - avniR

Congrès International sur l’Analyse du Cycle de Vie Lille, Novembre 2011
L’ACV comme moteur d’amélioration, d’innovation
et de communication : de l’évaluation à
l’affichage, en passant par l’éco-conception
// L.C.A as a driver of improvement, innovation
and communication: from evaluation to labelling,
via eco-design.
La session est animée par Pierre Echard.
The Power of Life Cycle Thinking,
Ramon ARRATIA, Directeur développement durable EMEAI, InterfaceFLOR
LCA is a transformative tool for industries and sectors. We used to try to make companies
sustainable, but in fact it is products and systems we need to change. In many physical objects, 90-
99% of the impact lies in its raw materials. Chemical reactions use lots of energy and pressure and
create waste. We need to measure the impact of company product portfolios, as by changing raw
materials or making more efficient products we greatly reduce impact. For instance, carpets are
traditionally made from nylon. We decided to recycle nylon and reduce the nylon content by 50%.
Companies often patronize consumers with stories, but consumers buy products, n ot stories.
Performing an LCA gives product teams the focus to request raw materials with virtually no imprint.
Then the marketing department can focus on facts, not funny labels. The sales department can focus
on truth. The innovation team can focus on bigger issues.
We perform LCAs for every single product we make, and then redesign the product to cut its impact.
With our supply chain, instead of asking them useless questions, we ask them for their LCA and EPD,
and say we will work with them if they cut their LCA by 50-70%. We are also teaching our suppliers to
do EPDs.
As LCA is a multicriterias method lt gives us fact and prevent the Greenwashing. Real sustainability
comes when LCAs are done at a systemic level.
LCAs also bestow a competitive advantage. In our carpet tiles we have substituted glue for stickers.
This makes tiles easier to change and recycle, and has allowed us to cannibalize market shares of
glue. Cannibalizing adjacent markets is not the only goal. By making systems modular they are easier
to install, uninstall, and recycle. Our tiles are easier to take back than entire carpets; their recycling,
i.e separating the raw materials (nylon and backing), is easier. This is essential.
Integrating environmental decision making into the product innovation
process
Tony TAYLOR, Manager développement durable et emballage, Unilever
As a multination company with worldwide operations, Unilever has been performing LCAs for at l east
15 years. Being implemented worldwide our innovations must take into account global conditions. Two
billion people use our products every day; changing our packaging, reducing our wash temperature,
increasing our recycling can have a huge impact. In the next ten years, we plan on doubling the
company’s size and greatly reducing its impact. As such, we need to know where our raw materials
are sourced, who our supply chain partners are, how consumers use and dispose of products, and our
total LCA. To do so, we need to measure our environmental impact.